It’s time to free the orcas

By: Dyaniz Marti

Orcas are apex predators. They are at the top of the food chain and are only hunted by humans. They are extremely smart mammals. They team up in big groups when they hunt their prey, but they do not seem very smart when they are captured by humans for entertainment purposes. Orcas should be left in their environment, in a free ocean where they can roam at will, not confined by humans in a fish bowl. When Orcas are taken away from their families, they suffer like humans do. An Orcas lifespan can vary from 60-100 years depending on the sex, but in captivity their lifespan is cut short by 50-70 years. Captive Orcas have been responsible of the deaths of several Orca trainers, but the parks try to cover-up the bad publicity with excuses because the worth of an Orca whale can be up to a million dollars, and to release it means losing money. The captivity of the whales in closed quarters causes them to react in such a way. People forget, that although they seem docile, they are wild animals that act on instinct. Their hostile reactions are brought upon by confining walls and lack of room to swim. It’s about time the whales are released from captivity.